Delhi’s air quality improved but remained in the lower end of the ‘poor’ category on Saturday morning even as the India Meteorological department (IMD) forecast strong surface winds to continue throughout the day.
The minimum temperature stood at 11.8°C, which is 2.4 °C above normal.
The air quality index (AQI) was 214 (poor) at 9am on Saturday, as compared to the 24-hour average AQI of 220 (poor) at 4pm on Friday, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
This comes two days after the AQI had shown a sudden spike due to overnight build up of PM 2.5, as a result of which the AQI had deteriorated to ‘very poor’. However, sustained surface winds have remained in Delhi’s favour.
Forecasts by the Air Quality Early Warning System (AQEWS) for Delhi suggest that the air quality is likely to improve further throughout the day.
“The air quality is likely to be in the moderate category from Saturday to Sunday. The air quality is likely to be in the poor category on Monday. The outlook for the subsequent six days is that the air quality is likely to be in the poor category,” the AQEWS bulletin said.
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Meanwhile, the Met department has forecast strong surface winds of speed 15-25kmph to continue throughout the day on Saturday.
“The speed of the wind, which had been relatively high for the last two days, is expected to now go down over the next few days,” said an IMD official.
IMD has forecast the minimum temperature to remain in the 9-11 °C range for the next couple of days.